Helleborus plant named ‘JHE00091’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Helleborus  plant named ‘JHE00091’, characterized by its upright and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate; dark green-colored leaves; early and freely flowering habit; single purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Helleborus×hybridus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘JHE00091’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Helleborus plant, botanically known as Helleborus×hybridus and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘JHE00091’.

The new Helleborus plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Oostkamp, Belgium. The objective of the breeding program was to create new early-flowering Helleborus plants with attractive plant habit and flowers.

The new Helleborus plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Oostkamp, Belgium in 2007 of a proprietary selection of Helleborus×hybridus identified as code designation OERODE1209, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Helleborus×hybridus identified as code designation OERODE1205, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Helleborus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Oostkamp, Belgium in March, 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new Helleborus plant by in vitro propagation in a controlled environment in Lochristi, Belgium since June, 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Helleborus plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Helleborus have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘JHE00091’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘JHE00091’ as a new and distinct Helleborus plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Single purple-colored flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Compared to plants of the parent selections, plants of the new Helleborus are more vigorous and grow faster. In addition, plants of the new Helleborus flower earlier than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Helleborus can be compared to plants of Helleborus orientalis ‘HLR 120’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,503. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Oostkamp, Belgium, plants of the new Helleborus differed primarily from plants of ‘HLR 120’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Helleborus flowered earlier than plants of         plants of ‘HLR 120’.     -   2. Plants of the new Helleborus were more freely flowering than         plants of ‘HLR 120’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Helleborus plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Helleborus plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘JHE00091’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘JHE00091’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the autumn in 17-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Lochristi, Belgium and under cultural practices typical of commercial Helleborus production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 26° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 18° C. Plants were 14 months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Helleborus×hybridus ‘JHE00091’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Helleborus×hybridus identified as code designation             OERODE1209, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Helleborus×hybridus identified as code designation             OERODE1205, not patented. -   PROPAGATION:     -   -   Type.—By in vitro propagation.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About six weeks at             temperatures about 19° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About seven             months at temperatures about 19° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fleshy; typically             white to brown in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and             physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright and             mounding plant habit with flowers held above the foliar             plane; plant shape is roughly globular; vigorous growth             habit and rapid growth rate.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 24.5             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 38             cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 42.3 cm. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves arranged in a basal rosette; leaves             palmately compound with five leaflets per leaf.         -   Leaf length.—About 15.9 cm.         -   Leaf width.—About 23 cm.         -   Leaflet length.—About 14.2 cm.         -   Leaflet width.—About 4.2 cm.         -   Leaf shape.—Palmate; reniform in outline.         -   Leaflet shape.—Narrowly obovate.         -   Leaflet apex.—Acute.         -   Leaflet base.—Attenuate.         -   Leaflet margin.—Serrate.         -   Leaflet texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous;             slightly rugose.         -   Leaflet luster, upper surface.—Glossy.         -   Leaflet luster, lower surface.—Slightly glossy.         -   Leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Leaflet color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to             143A to 143B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to             144A. Fully developed leaves, upper surface: Close to darker             than between NN137A and 147A; venation, close to 144A. Fully             developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             close to 144B to 144C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 15.2 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Luster,             upper and lower surfaces: Glossy. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower shape and habit.—Single rotate flowers in terminal             compound cymes; freely and uniform flowering habit with             about 28 flower buds and flowers per plant; flowers facing             outwardly to nodding.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about ten             months after planting; plants flower during the autumn and             winter in Belgium.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About ten days; flower             longevity is dependent on temperature; flowers not             persistent.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 15.9 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 36.6 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.1 cm.             Shape: Short oblong. Texture: Glabrous. Luster: Matte.             Color: Close to between N77B and 183B.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5.3 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 1.6 cm.         -   Petals.—Transformed into nectaries.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five, arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 3.2 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm. Shape:             Broadly obovate. Apex: Obtuse to shallowly retuse. Base:             Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Luster, upper and lower surfaces: Matte.             Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 187B; dense             venation, close to N186A. When opening, lower surface: Close             to N77B; dense venation, close to N186A. Fully opened, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to N77B; dense venation, close to             N186A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 19.8 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Aspect: About 30° from vertical. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Luster: Slightly glossy.             Color: Close to between 144A and 144B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2.6 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Aspect: About 20° from peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Luster: Glossy. Color:             Close to 146D; distally, tinged with close to 184B to 184C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 60.             Filament length: About 1.1 cm. Filament color: Close to             145D. Anther shape: Reniform; basifixed. Anther size: About             2 mm by 1.25 mm. Anther color: Close to 150D. Pollen amount:             Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 155A. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: About four. Pistil length: About 8 mm. Stigma             diameter: About 3 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma             color: Close to 145D. Style length: About 7.5 mm. Style             color: Close to 145B strongly tinged with close to 183C to             183D. Ovary color: Close to 145B. Nectaries (transformed             petals): Quantity per flower: About 13. Length: About 6 mm.             Diameter: About 4 mm. Shape: Tubular, flattened. Texture,             inner and outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Luster, inner             surface: Matte. Luster, outer surface: Glossy. Color,             immature and mature, inner surface: Close to N144A;             distally, strongly tinged with close to 200D. Color,             immature and mature, outer surface: Close to 146C; distally,             tinged with close to 197A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Helleborus. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Helleborus have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and high     temperatures about 35° C. and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness     Zones 5 to 9. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Helleborus have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Helleborus plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Helleborus plant named ‘JHE00091’ as illustrated and described. 